Just wanted to remind you all that you can access our free Basal Metabolic Rate and Body Mass Index calculators at the following web address:

http://www.goalfitnessandnutrition.com/bmr_calculator.php

Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is basically the amount of calories your body burns in a 24-hour period if you were to just lay awake on the couch. Our calculator takes into account your activity level so you know even more accurately how many calories you burn each day. Once you figure this out, you can determine how much you should be eating to lose weight. Remember, an average healthy weight loss per week is 1-2 pounds. It takes a deficit through food or exercise of 3,500 calories to lose 1 pound.

Your body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to adult men and women. The only problem I have with this measurement is that if you’re really tall, really short, or really muscle-dense, you will be off the charts on your BMI. I’d stick with the BMR to know if you’re in the healthy zone as far as the amount you’re carrying around. Too much is no good!

All the best,

Katie Kottmann, VP, CFT, SPN

Goal Fitness & Nutrition, LLC

www.GoalFitnessandNutrition.com

What have YOU got to lose?

When I meet with a new personal training client I ask them what their goals are and why they are meeting with me now. Inevitably, 9 times out of 10, I get the answer “I want to lose weight.” Knowing they mean, “lose fat” I move forward, asking what they’ve been doing in their fitness program, but also what their typical food day is like. A lot of times people say they have generally healthy habits, but some admit to being horrible about their eating. No matter what they tell me I try to dig deeper and usually find out the most of them, no matter in what category they placed themselves, eat absolutely incorrectly for their goals. But once we can identify that problem, the key to losing fat is right in front of us, making it that much easier to lose it!

I know I’ve written blogs about this before, but it is seriously so important to know that nutrition will amount to at least 80% of your results!!! If you are busting your ass in the gym, but cannot seem to get your eating under control, you are completely wasting your time… and if you’re one of my clients, you’re wasting my time as well…. which doesn’t make me happy. You don’t have to work harder in the beginning to lose weight. You have to eat smarter! So here are some tips to get you losing fat (especially in the waist, hips, and thighs) as fast as possible!

*Eat more healthy fats! It takes fat to lose fat, so incorporate EVOO, almonds, natural peanut butter, and things of that nature to your daily nutrition. Try to keep it under 20% of your daily calories.

*Don’t eat carbs past 5 or 6pm. Carbs that aren’t used for energy get stored on the body as fat. The less excess carbs you have before you go to sleep, the less will be stored as fat.

*Do your low to moderate intensity cardio on an empty stomach. For the best benefit, do it first thing in the morning. This way you’ll be able to burn through any excess carbs and fat you may have stored overnight before you consume any more. Doing this type of cardio for 30-60 minutes will tap into your fat stores.

*Eat breakfast! Your largest meal of the day should be breakfast. This will give you energy to get through your morning and boost your metabolism by getting it going first thing.

*Fuel your activity. That is, eat for what you’ll be doing. If you have a desk job and you know you’ll just be sitting there for hours, don’t eat too much! One hundred calories per hour if you’re just sitting is fine. Now, if you have a pretty active job, you can up your calories.

*Eat 5-6 small meals/day. Doing so will keep your blood sugar stable, keep you satisfied, and keep you from crashing and eating too much. It will also keep your metabolism boosted.

*Eat your protein and green leafy veggies. Both of these take more energy for your body to breakdown than other nutrients. If you eat these, they can raise your metabolism and you’ll lose more weight without doing anything! Plus, protein is necessary for muscle repair and muscle building.

*Do a mix of weights and different intensity cardio. Heavy weights increase muscle growth which increases metabolism. High intensity cardio a couple of times a week boosts metabolism. Low to moderate intensity cardio burns fat. Doing a mix of all of these will keep you lean!

*Drink water! The average person needs 96 oz. of water/day. If you’re exercising or working hard, you need more! Get a water bottle and refill it all day long. You may pee more at first, but it will slow down as your body gets used to the increased consumption.

*Listen to your body. If you’re tired, rest. A lot of times we confuse fatigue for hunger so try a nap instead of the snack machine. And if you’re sore, give yourself a day to recover.

That’s a good start. If you have any other questions, send them my way. I’m always happy to help!

All the best,

Katie Kottmann, VP, CFT, SPN

Goal Fitness & Nutrition, LLC

www.GoalFitnessandNutrition.com

What have YOU got to lose?

I just got done reading this article on msnbc.com. I love it! It’s nice to know that over all these years, people have tried this and that to lose weight as easily and quickly as possible, but nothing works but good old fashioned sweat and proper nutrition. Read it and let me know what you think!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41321656/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/

All the best,

Katie Kottmann, VP, CFT, SPN

Goal Fitness & Nutrition, LLC

www.GoalFitnessandNutrition.com

What have YOU got to lose?

I wanted to make sure you all know you can follow us on Twitter @goalfitness

We’d love to read your tweets and be able to offer some great daily info to you and yours. Have a very happy weekend!

All the best,

Katie Kottmann, VP, CFT, SPN

Goal Fitness & Nutrition, LLC

www.GoalFitnessandNutrition.com

What have YOU got to lose?

After years of being SO good about eating and exercising I have fallen into a very deep health rut. I don’t particularly want to exercise (Well, except bootcamps three times a week. I LOVE those!) I don’t really care about the food that goes in my mouth. I’ve pretty much stopped thinking about what I’m eating and just shove crap down the hatch before I even realize it. It’s horrible. And I feel horrible. And I feel like I look horrible.

I feel twice as guilty because, as a personal trainer and nutritionist, I’m supposed to be a role model for others. How can people learn and listen to me when I’m not doing what I need to be healthy? But you know…. I’M HUMAN DAMMIT! I have weaknesses (in the form of cookies and crackers) that I have a hard time controlling sometimes. The winter is the worst. I joke that I put on the ‘winter 15′ but I seriously do sometimes! Again, it’s horrible.

My life has turned into this cyclical pattern of waking up thinking I’ll eat healthy, end up not eating so healthy or drinking too much, end up eating even more because I figure what the hell, stay up too late because I don’t want to wake up tomorrow thinking about what I did today, go to bed, wake up tired because I ate crappy and went to bed too late, hate myself for doing it, resolve to eat healthy today…. etc…. etc…. You get the picture. So at what point will I break this pattern? What will it take to end this? It is an addiction that has changed the chemistry of my brain. It’s been this way as long as I can remember. Let’s go back…

I’ve always had food issues. In grade school I pushed 200-lbs because the way I dealt with my feelings was food. And we always had processed, sugary, oh-so-yummy food in the house. Many times I was alone as both parents worked, both sisters had activities, and I had my teenage emotional baggage to deal with all alone in my house…. SWISS CAKE ROLLS!!! DORITOS!!! It truly spiraled out of control (I remember my sister mentioning my parents talking about a fat camp… NO THANK YOU!). Then one day we had a fire drill at school, and walking back into the building some dick behind me wouldn’t stop talking about how fat I was, chanting “Fat ass! Fat ass!” I went straight to the bathroom and cried until my teacher found me. She then promptly went into action getting him suspended… I loved her. The next day, I remember making swift changes in the way I ate. I even started to exercise! And by the end of junior high I was down to a healthy weight and no one recognized me. It was a great feeling.

Since then, I’ve managed to keep my weight to a reasonable number… sometimes I get too low, sometimes too high. I’m sure no one but my husband knows this, but I dealt with bulimia for awhile. Therapy helped that. But those thoughts come back every now and again. It sure seems like an easy answer sometimes, but it’s not. It just gives you a headache, sore muscles, and a really sore throat. Plus it’s just gross.

Now, I go through periods (usually months at a time) of ups and downs. And when my life is chaotic and seems out of control, I turn to food and drink to ‘cure’ it. But it only makes it more out of control. So here I am. It’s been a VERY crazy, out of control 6 months for my family. Actually, there’s really no end in sight right now. So I’m trying to figure it out again. Perhaps it’s something I will always deal with… I guess I should know that after 27 years and a degree in psychology. But it really sucks. I have to stay positive, keep the faith, and know that it just takes putting one foot in front of the other to get it done. I’m no better than anyone else. I’m human. I’m emotional. I over-complicate things. I lose control. And I won’t apologize for it…. to myself or to anyone else.

Thanks for letting me share. I’d love to hear from you if you’re in need of some support. I’m always here!

All the best,

Katie Kottmann, VP, CFT, SPN

Goal Fitness & Nutrition, LLC

www.GoalFitnessandNutrition.com

What have YOU got to lose?